Zephanii Smith

CSocD54 DelegateCSW60 Delegate

Zephanii has distinguished herself as a youth leader in civic engagement and has spent her career working for the federal and state governments in California. Prior to pursuing her passion for public service as a congressional staffer, Zephanii developed her leadership skills during a 10 year tenure with the NAACP, working alongside civil rights icons and industry leaders training activists to address unresolved issues in civil rights. In 2009, she was elected to serve on the NAACP’s Board of Directors, where she worked to develop campaigns and development of socially-conscious and sustainable youth units; advocated for voting rights at the United Nations; and served as Vice Chair of the association’s nationally syndicated awards show. At Claremont McKenna College, Zephanii earned her BA in Government and studied abroad in Jordan, England, and South Korea. She worked with the Kravis Leadership Institute and the People for the American Way Foundation to develop See It Through!, a social venture aimed at serving disconnected youth, inspired by her engagement with Opportunity Nation, a bipartisan national campaign comprised of 300+ cross-sector organizations working to expand economic mobility and close the opportunity gap in America. Zephanii is a committee consultant to the California State Legislature working to ensure transparency and accountability in state agencies and programs. Zephanii’s hobbies have included competing in local pageants and advising for numerous projects, organizations, and events.